The scene is set to lead the community through a process eventually leading to a foregone conclusion. Read on.

The document says it is a starting point for a community engagement process to decide the future of Coal Creek. It implores the reader to read it carefully, explore the options presented and of course, share their thoughts and ideas. Council says it is committed to taking action on the outcomes of the engagement process.

Council claims that despite recent strong events such as the Southern Lights Festival that attracted thousands of people, that underneath this lies a financial and structural reality that they say cannot be ignored.

They say that budget constraints limit the Park’s operations and development. The bulk of Council’s budget allotted to operations goes to maintaining the status quo, paying staff, maintaining buildings, and running the events and activities within the Park.

Despite current maintenance levels which Council has admitted will not stop the continuing decline in assets the report says that recent inspections reveal that many buildings and other infrastructure need repair. They claim the estimated investment could be significant if all buildings and structures were to be refurbished over the next 5-10 years.

Editorial comment: This newspaper has been highlighting the lack of investment on maintenance for 18 months now and showing the rot within many of the assets in the Park. This Council report also fails to indicate the financial commitment from Council required.

Visitor numbers have fallen from a high of 68,770 in 2013/2014 to 23, 564 (Jan-Oct) in 2023. Volunteer numbers post covid have grown from 3 in 2021 to 30 in 2023. Most people visit the Park for events, displays, and natural settings.

The operating budget for 2023-24 is $838,073 which includes major costs for administration and wages, utilities and tramway maintenance and insurance. The capital works budget also includes $114,000 for the whole Shire’s heritage buildings maintenance works.

Coal Creek is Crown Land and Council is the delegated authority to manage the area. Council is also delegated to manage the Memorial Hall and related buildings which is also Crown Land.

Council is seeking feedback on 3 options:

Option 1: revitalisation

This option involves continuing Coal Creek’s current operations while adding new activities and attractions. The key challenge is the need for funding to address operational and safety issues and the necessity to innovate beyond current offerings to significantly boost appeal. The opportunity lies in the potential for increased visitation, enhanced community engagement, and a positive impact on the local economy, particularly through hosting diverse events, festivals, and educational programs.

Summary Continuing current operations with additional activities and attractions to increase appeal.

Option 2: new direction

The community may identify a new direction for Coal Creek through the engagement process, provided it meets the strategic planning requirements outlined earlier. This ambitious approach may require significant investment, including external funding, and the challenge lies in managing large-scale development while aligning with community values. The opportunity here could be transformative – turning Coal Creek into a sustainable tourism attraction that offers long-term benefits to the community.

Summary A substantial shift based on recommendations from the engagement process.

Option 3: ceasing current operations

Ceasing operation as a Community Park and Museum is not a simple task. It involves deaccessioning the collections and dismantling the buildings and will require extensive community consultation.
The challenges here are significant – it would be an expensive and lengthy process. The costs would include wages, demolition works, storage and deaccessioning of the collection, legal fees, and security during the closure period. It’s noteworthy that the collection’s removal, a more time-consuming process than demolishing buildings, would necessitate three full-time curators over three years to complete. Council would face a significant financial burden in managing this process, ensuring appropriate standards in handling the collection, and meeting its obligations to the community and the site’s heritage. The process also involves complex logistical challenges and potential resistance from the State Government regarding asset relinquishment. However, this option offers the opportunity to re-purpose the land for new community needs and reduces long-term ongoing operational expenses.

Summary Ceasing operations involving deaccessioning collections, dismantling buildings, and extensive community consultation.

Editorial comment: Previous external reviews of the opportunities such as the report into a school camp proposal which showed the potential to turn the financial situation around to a positive cash flow opportunity have simply been shelved by the officers over the years and have failed to gain significant mention in this report.

This report appears to read as doom and gloom leading to a reduction in some way of Coal Creek’s assets. It is hard to see how any community engagement would find a positive solution when all previous reports that have been conducted by Council have not been made available for people to view in this process.

Perhaps it is not the problem that needs addressing but those in charge of managing it-if the Council does not have the staff ability to come up with a plan as shown by the last 15 years of abject failure to act, then perhaps the community needs a CEO and staff that are able to find solutions and manage assets like Coal Creek for the community.